


Black, Silver & Gold

by mentalstrainatdawn



Category: Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)
Genre: Carnival, Happy Ending, Harry as Arthur, M/M, Mild torture, Mission Fic, Mutual Pining, but they're all baddies, damsel in distress eggsy, eggsy and harry kill a lot of people
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-17
Updated: 2015-12-17
Packaged: 2018-05-07 03:58:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5442500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mentalstrainatdawn/pseuds/mentalstrainatdawn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Scarborough Fair is a black market that has eluded the Kingsman agents for years. Now, in the midst of the Venice Carnival, and with Harry as the new Arthur, they may have a chance to stop it. Meanwhile, the Harry and Eggsy try their best to stay professional while working together despite their feelings for each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Black, Silver & Gold

**Author's Note:**

> For the Kingsman Big Bang! I'm also galahadthelate over at tumblr. Come and say hi!
> 
> Artwork by the amazing Inky_D [Here!](http://s12.postimg.org/6hcjto1d9/Black_Silver_Gold_Title.jpg)

_“I thought about you every day, Harry” try as he might Eggsy couldn’t fight back the tears but it wasn’t until he tasted the salt on his lips that he realised they had been streaming down his face with shameless, unadulterated freedom. He didn’t care. All he cared about was Harry and as it turned out Harry didn’t return the sentiment._

_He could still recall the way Harry’s eyes softened before they looked away unable to meet his own._

_“it wouldn’t work” He could still hear Harry’s hoarse whisper “I’m sorry, Eggsy…” was all he said._

_“Yeah….” Eggsy wiped away his tears with his bespoke sleeve “me too.”_

~x~x~x~x~x~x~

The alarm clock cut through the morning silence with a jarring tune and disrupted the already awake Eggsy from his ever rotating memories. Leaning over to shut up the useless machine (for what good was it when he’d been awake long before the sunrise) Eggsy sat up from his messy bed and took in the grey, February sunlight dimly pouring into his room. Mornings were always the worst. The quiet, still world around him left Eggsy alone with his thoughts before he slept, when he woke up and all the bits in between. Because it was hard to forget being rejected. 

But Harry’s alive, Eggsy told himself, as he did every day and proceeded with his morning routine. By the time he had reached the shop the mask of the charming, young gentleman was firmly in place. 

 

~x~x~x~x~x~x~

 

“Ah, Eggsy! Good morning.” Harry greeted Eggsy the moment he walked in. He met those warm, radiant brown eyes and felt that familiar tightness in his heart. He smiled back, of course he did, he barely could help himself. It had been almost two months since Harry’s return, not that Eggsy had been keeping track of course, and his breath still got caught at the sight of him. 

“Morning, Arthur. Andrew.” He nodded at the two men. Harry was talking to the tailor who was donning his usual accessories of measuring tape and an impish grin.  
“Meeting in the dining room in five minutes.” That meant ten in Harry Hart time “Lancelot is already in there” Eggsy smiled at the information and nodded once again at the older gentlemen as he sauntered past them and up the wooden stairs… two at a time of course. Eggsy could work all sorts of social situations, having to deal with the utter incapability of looking Harry Hart in the eye was not one of them. 

“You’re going to break the steps.” Roxy’s voice filling the room the moment Eggsy walked through the dark wood doors.  
“You calling me fat?” he cocked his eyebrow and swung his arms “It’s not fat, it’s power!”  
“This old building can’t take so much power.” She took off her glasses with a tilt to her head and beamed a knowing smile at him. He greeted it with a kiss on her forehead and a gentle ‘good morning’. Eggsy adored Roxy. Perhaps it was due to witnessing the near death of civilisation, or saving it together, but she didn’t have to do much to ease his troubled heart.  
“You the first one in?” Eggsy folded into his seat.  
“Percival’s just going over some of the stuff for the meeting with Merlin. Any sign of Arthur?”  
“Just outside…” And there it was… that tiny flinch, the twitch to his lips Eggsy got every time Harry sprung into conversation. Roxy studied him with a worried frown until she heard the door open.

“Good morning” Merlin entered the room as silently as ever, clipboard in hand and Percival close behind. The taller more stoic spy merely nodded in Eggsy’s direction. He’ll take it. Percival was a man of few words so every action counted. Soon enough Harry walked in but it wasn’t until he took his place at the head of the table (which he always seemed hesitant to do so) that Merlin allowed himself to start. 

“We found Scarborough Fair.” Merlin let that sink in for a moment before he passed the briefing folders. The newest Arthur’s posture had changed with an instant jolt and the beautiful golden frame above the fireplace revealed a detailed photo of a mansion by a large body of water.  
“What?” Harry’s tone was disbelieving.  
“Percival got a lead” Merlin gestured to the taller man behind him with a swing of his clipboard as if it was an extension of his arm.  
“Hang on, what?” Eggsy’s head darted between the older men and Roxy showed the same level of confusion. It could be rather frustrating to be the junior members of Kingsman at times.  
“Scarborough Fair is a moving black market. Terrible people with terrible amounts of money wanting to buy terrible things.” Harry turned his head to clarify the mystery to the newer knights.  
“For years we’ve been trying to track it down but, as Arthur said, it moves… and its very well connected. Giving us the disadvantage of always being one step behind.” Merlin tapped something on his pad and on the screen above a world map was dotted yellow across the countries. Judging by the amount of dots it seems like it’s been going on for some time…  
“You’d think after V-Day shit like this wouldn’t still happen” Eggsy gave a dejected sigh. They felt lucky to have had the decent leaders and influentials tucked safely away by Valentine. People who had refused to take part in the classist culling were using their power more than ever… and yet there’s always some who seek to profit from the lost and confused. Cockroaches always seem to survive.

The beautifully golden framed screen showed the mansion once again. A tight square of a building, streamed with larger columned windows and a red tiled roof that contrasted with the off white brickwork of the outer walls. The structure was old but well maintained. Gothic, Eggsy ventured to think, hints of Mediterranean Moorish layouts on its detailed archways was also a dead give away.

“That’s in Venice.’ Eggsy nodded at the screen. Regardless of whether or not he knew that from a video game, Eggsy was quick to start piecing the information together.  
“Correct, Galahad.” Eggsy was too busy looking at Merlin to notice the slight twitch of a smile cross Harry’s lips. But Roxy did. She also noticed the twitch in his head as if brushing away whatever made his smile.  
“How did you get this information, Percival?” Roxy’s attention going back to the task at hand.  
“During my mission in Japan I managed to catch wind of someone who has been involved in this market on several occasions.”  
“Dare I ask how you managed to get them to talk?” Eggsy noticed her tongue cut those words with delicate sharpness.  
“Best leave that to the imagination, Lancelot” the lingering pause was brief, but long enough for said imagination to fill in the gaps.

“Here’s the catch,” Merlin continued “it’s taking place under the guise of a masquerade ball. In two days.”  
“Carnival season.” Harry joined in the conversation “The city will be packed, noisy and faceless.”  
“Hiding in plain sight.” Eggsy finished.  
“There must be someone at the head of all this.” Harry flipped through pages of his folder.  
“All we know is that it’s someone by the name of Ace.” Merlin sighed. The screen behind him had rounded up all the information they had gathered. The location was mapped out in its entirety but with only a vague number of attendees to go by, a faceless leader and a convoluted location it became clear rather quickly that the mission would have to involve more quick thinking than planning. Much to their leader’s discomfort. 

“Galahad, Lancelot, Percival and myself will carry this one out.” Harry barely had given it a moment’s thought before he made up his mind.  
“You sure that’s wise, Arthur?” Merlin met his old companion’s eye and cocked his eyebrow, but it was clear his question was nothing but earnest.  
“You asking because you’re worried about my abilities or because you’ll feel lonely without us?” Harry was good at asking serious questions under a humorous quip. Merlin on the other hand, wasn’t buying it. He’s known Harry for too many years to not know he’d touched a nerve.  
“I’m asking because that’ll leave us tragically unmanned. Also because it gets lonely when you fuckers aren’t breaking my things…” Merlin’s deadpan caused Harry to relax enough. Eggsy noticed the way Harry jaw had clenched and was right to guess it was a pride thing. Harry wouldn’t admit it but how is he to react to the fear of losing the one thing he believed to give him worth. 

“Ideally I would have you come too, Merlin. The staggering amount of enemies in such a confined space is disconcerting but we need to have someone here and the table being what it is at the moment…” every agent looked down the empty mahogany surface. Not all of them had sold out to Valentine. Gawain and Tristan had succumbed to the same maddening signal but weren’t lucky enough to miraculously survive it. Harry couldn’t help but feel guilty about his luck… but needless to say they were stretched thin when most of the table was on a permanent leave of absence. 

“Yes yes, Arthur. Hold the fort.” Merlin was, above all, respectful of Harry’s choices and if said he was ready to go back to the fray then he believed him. Just.

“We’ll be leaving the mansion at 0600 hours until then please keep your comms at hand for any further intel and make sure you get a good lay of the land. Dismissed.” With that Arthur called the meeting to an end. Roxy was first out the door, her folder clenched tightly enough for Eggsy to know she would be studying it diligently. Percival and Merlin left discussing the mode of transport to Venice, leaving Eggsy who slowed his pace enough till it was just just him and Harry in the room. Taking a moment to look at him, Eggsy’s gaze veered to the prominent scar along Harry’s left eye. Of course the joke involving another scarred individual named Harry had been made several times but the resemblance to lightning always intrigued Eggsy. The way the discoloured skin branded along the edge of his eye, a branching bolt that even burned through some of his hair, scarring it enough for a small patch of grey to be carefully hidden behind expensive glasses. Eggsy loved the scar even if Harry didn’t. And he knew Harry didn’t. In fact Harry downright hated it. Harry always rested his hand conveniently over the scar when he sat, and slightly tilted his head when talking to anyone so it wasn’t in view. Eggsy wanted to say he doesn’t have to hide it or feel ashamed of it but then again Eggsy wanted to say many things.

“The crown looks good on you, Arthur” he leaned against the polished table and tried his best to emit air of casual banter, all the while being unsure as to why he did this to himself. Perhaps he was just testing himself to see if he was finally over him. Perhaps he wanted to bruise his own heart till it became hardened. But Eggsy knew deep down it was none of those things.  
“Thank you, Eggsy…” when was the last time Eggsy had called Harry by his name? Harry noticed, he always did “it does feel somewhat heavy at times…” Their eyes locked for a few beats before Harry busied himself with his paperwork again.  
“It’ll be great to have you in the field.” Eggsy couldn’t help himself. As much as he dreaded having to work with Harry ‘rip-my’ Hart under such intense circumstances, he knew the man hated being bound to a desk. “I bet you miss it.” 

Not expecting the compliment, Harry took a moment before giving a warm smile. “I miss anywhere that’s not this bloody room.” He put his file down “Besides I couldn’t let you have all the fun.” That made Eggsy grin and Harry tried his best not to hold his breath. Every smile or wink or kind word Eggsy has given him Harry cherished with a possessive hope that the young man didn’t hate him.  
“Just as long as you keep up!” Eggsy winked as he sauntered out the door, hands in his pockets and his chilled disposition almost cracking. That was it, that was his dosage of ‘I’m going to pretend to be over you’ for the day.  
“Cheeky shit.” Harry chuckled. It wasn’t until Eggsy was gone did he let go of that breath he had no idea he was holding. That constant tension in his lungs that clung to him since he broke the young man’s heart was exhausting. And at times like that he honestly wondered if that really was the right choice… 

~x~x~x~x~x~x~

VENICE, ITALY  
22:00 hours

Harry busied himself by fixing his cufflinks, straightening his mask and checking his shoes as he waited for his fellow agents in the lobby. Their base of operation was the Penna D’aquila Hotel where they had arrived the day before but, as always, there wasn’t much time to enjoy the comforts of such a luxurious establishment before spreading out to get a lay of their target location. The mansion, named La Rosa Colta, was carefully isolated from any mainland parts of the city. South of the grand Canal, it stood in its own piece of land that was carefully sectioned by the smaller canals. They had no alternative but to go straight into the filthy lion’s den while Percival had agreed to keep a sniper lookout in a rooftop as close as possible but even then his visibility was limited to the west and south of the building. Harry’s mind twas reeling with every possible scenario and every precaution to avoid it. 

“Evening, Arthur” His mind tensed upon seeing the younger Galahad. Everything Eggsy donned was shaped and layered to caress his figure without it being too ornate. The point of this party was to remain as faceless and anonymous as possible. As one would expect when it comes to horrendously shady deals. And yet the way the black suit was built for every ripple of Eggsy’s muscles was damn near obscene. And to top it off he sported a simple golden tie that matched the elaborate patterns and swirls adorning Eggsy’s rather fitting and elegant white rabbit mask. Kingsman made, of course. Their high tech glasses and been replaced with high tech masks. 

“Galahad.” Harry smiled, his lips barely visible under his own mask. A butterfly’s wing spread over the side of Harry’s face as if bursting from his very scar as the delicate silver made the whole thing shimmer under the light. The matching silver tie with the subtle sheen and the large black cape draped over his shoulders added to the mysterious flair that was Harry Hart. They looked at each other in revered silence with the unsure air of what to say to one another in such a situation, but luckily Roxy had arrived as if on cue. She had gone with a cat mask that glistened with several shades of a purple so deep it was as dark as the dress she wore and linked arms with Harry. They had agreed they would raise less suspicion in a crowd such as the one in Scarborough Fair if they feigned to be your average rich megalomaniac and his beautiful companion. Not that Eggsy was the slightest bit jealous. 

“Lancelot and I will go first. Let two gondolas pass and then follow.” Harry commanded. It was easier to spread out if they went under the ruse that they didn’t know each other. Eggsy gave a stiff nod and watched as they walked past, making sure to give Roxy his usual reassuring wink. 

~x~x~x~x~x~x~

Harry and Roxy didn’t have to wait long for their mysterious gondola to appear. The information they had gathered (from Percival’s dirty, hard work) revealed a rendezvous point designated specifically for the anonymous market. The two veered across the busy Venetian streets. people sang and danced to the beat of distant tunes with such drunken gaiety it was easy for them to blend. The more turns they too down smaller streets the darker and quieter their immediate surroundings were until they reached one of they quieter watery veins that filled the city. The soon found the small steps leading down into the stream and Roxy’s heels clicked against the stone with the such clarity it emphasised how alone they were. It wasn’t long before small ripples danced along the edge they hovered. Their gondola had arrived. A purple lantern hanging from the narrow boat shone along the contours of the driver’s mask. Featureless apart from the holes, he gave them a solemn nod when presented with the forged invitation. Merlin had wasted no time in making good work of the copies, and the wizard’s handiwork hadn’t failed a Kingsman yet. After having passed the first hurdle they sat in silence as the gondola cut through the waters that glistened with flecks of reflected light from the bright lights around them. Music echoed through the streets and bridges were swarmed with people celebrating the freedom of such a festivity. Nobody noticed or cared about them, a perfect disguise for any spy. 

“He’s hurting, you know.” Roxy broke their silence. As much as she felt the need to focus on the mission she couldn’t waste the solitary chance with Harry. Percival had told her time and time again not to get involved, for as much as she loved Eggsy it was none of her business how the two men dealt with each other. And yet the thought of not letting the man know just how deeply he had cut Eggsy didn’t sit right with her. Harry didn’t move, and Roxy assumed he had chosen to ignore her somewhat unprofessional comment when she heard a small sigh.  
“I know, Lancelot,” his voice barely a whisper “and I feel that pain in kind.” The sudden candidness had taken Roxy by surprise. She didn’t know what to say and was washed with a sense of guilt for bringing up such a tender subject. She watched him look away into the carefree souls just beyond the shore and was about to interject, to say anything now that she could. But their boat came to a sudden halt before the mansion Roxy had studied down to the last detail. La Rosa Colta was brightly lit with music pouring out the very windows that filled with faceless people of all shapes and sizes dancing across the glass. Their time as people had come to an end. 

Harry helped Roxy out of the swaying raft and noticed two large men watching them from the canal steps silently assessing their every move. But they did nothing else as Harry and Roxy waved their invitations, crossing the threshold like they owned the place. Clearly whatever horrendous transactions took place they had to maintain the lie of a carnival party. With Roxy’s arm once again linked into his they walked inside the building. The instant rush of music and light could have been overwhelming to the unprepared civilian which Harry was sure was the intent. The centre courtyard was where the vast amount of guests seemed to be. Torches decorated the pillars with small flames licking the marble and giving the night a warm glow. Paper lanterns strung above them in several pastel shades while waiters in white jackets hovered through the crowd carrying silver trays peppered with obscure nibbles and canapés, unaware or ignoring the dangerous people that eagerly reached for their offerings. The gentle, acoustic melodies of mandolins danced along the grounds guided by the dulcet tones of an unseen tenor. As per the architecture of the time, Roxy could see the floors above, three in total, more people leaned across banisters and floated along the corridors. She could hear laughing and chatting as couples, men, women and groups walked in and out of rooms just beyond her eyesight. Everywhere she looked there were elaborate masks looking back at her, around her and barely noticing her. The reckless abandon of wearing a mask was corrupted in this house and Roxy was unnerved. 

“I spot four exits on this floor” Her voice was as gentle as if she was talking about the weather “All heavily guarded.” It wasn’t much of a task to spot those who were guests and those who were paid to keep the peace. People rarely stood by doorways with postures so tense as if ready to pounce. And they were terrible at concealing their weapons.  
“Best not make a scene, then.” With one swift movement Harry disengaged from their link and took two champagne glasses from a passing waiter. An easy way to fake being part of the crowd and watch it at the same time. Roxy had learned early on not to drink from mysterious glasses, simply holding it to her lips created the same illusion.

“Beautiful night, is it not?” A woman’s voice crept up on the two spies, but Harry made no impression at how unawares he was caught as he turned to face where it was coming from. A Japanese Oni mask, red as spilled blood, faced him back.  
“For now at least.” He replied to the mask that was donning a red, formal Kimono.  
“Do you think it’ll rain?”  
“Where I come from its best to not get too confident with things” he paused “especially the weather.”  
“Surely you can’t enjoy yourself if you’re always worried about what might happen” she cocked her head to the side, the playfulness in her tone giving an unnerving image to her demon cover. An avid buyer in a market such as this one, no doubt.  
“I’m English, madam, worrying about things is how we enjoy ourselves.” The made the Oni chuckle through her mask while Roxy took a sip of her champagne, or pretended to. She kept quiet as she studied the guest. The woman was close to Harry’s height but it was hard to identify much else through the traditional dress. Even her hands were covered by silk, black gloves.  
“Tonight is the night to indulge yourself, my friend. I hope you find something to please you more than worry.”  
“I intend to.” And with that they both bowed their heads, the universal signal that ends any conversation. The red Oni disappeared among the crowd leaving nothing but a chill air in her wake.  
“I’ll never understand rich eccentrics…” Roxy murmured.

~x~x~x~x~x~x~

They had done one lap of the courtyard, counting twenty eight guards that were armed to the teeth, before Eggsy made his presence known. 

“What did I miss?” His voice was muffled in the comms, clearly his version of blending in was to partake of the host’s food. He crossed paths with them once but kept a stranger’s distance while making a show of wiping the crumbs off his suit.  
“The market itself doesn’t seem to be on this floor.” Harry was faking his interest in a painting while he gave Eggsy the lowdown. Roxy had decided to cover the opposite end of the courtyard to watch the rotation of the guards. “We’ve got to check upstairs.”  
“I’ll scout on ahead” Eggsy was itching to get to work.  
“Not alone.”  
“Relax, Arthur. I’m just browsing.”  
“Percival isn’t in position yet, Eggsy. You won’t have anyone to watch your back.”  
“We don’t have time to be milling around getting fat on sausage rolls” Eggsy voice laden with bored sarcasm “If I’m not back in twenty minutes please come and rescue me.” Eggsy added once he knew Harry wouldn’t object and headed towards the nearest staircase with the saunter of someone who had too much money to care about the grim looking security guards. It was all about how well one could fake having a good time. 

~x~x~x~x~x~x~

Every nerve that ran across Eggsy’s body was tense with the alertness of the very animal he masqueraded as he wandered across the luxurious corridor. Every so often he would cross paths with people who had flowed up front he courtyard, following the dim lights that paved the walls to whatever their little corrupted hearts desired. He watched, he listened, he never undid the air of someone who was just on the search for some money to spend. Twice he opened one of the many aged wooden doors. The first time he came upon a room lit by nothing but a neon lamp, shining over three men hunched as if inspecting the contents on a table Eggsy could barely see. His mask did. Cocaine. Ten bricks of them before a brute of a man blocked his view and his stone cold gaze had Eggsy backing away.  
“I’m looking for something stronger” He smirked and carried on down the hall, hearing the door slam behind him. 

The second door he opened held sullen looking individuals, all without masks and looked at Eggsy as if he was going to devour them. He was prepared for this, they all were, but knew there was little he could do alone. Closing the door behind him he rushed towards the unguarded captives, clearly a small window he intended to use and unbound one of the poor souls, giving him the knife after he was done.  
“Stay here. Hide. Shit could get messy very soon so take the first chance you get to leg it.” Eggsy didn’t know if the poor fellow understood him but took the knife with silent gratitude pooling over his eyes. Eggsy turned to leave, about to grab the handle when he saw the knob turn to open. With mere moments to spare he hid behind the door, letting the guard walk into the room and close the door behind him before Eggsy knocked his lights out and dragged the fucker’s limp body to a corner of the room as the trafficked souls watched with hope in their eyes. 

“I found a bunch of poor bastards” Eggsy said over his comms as he left the room “Not sure if it was human trafficking but they weren’t there by choice.”  
“You are to refrain from engaging, Galahad.” Harry’s voice interjected  
“You expect me to ignore a bunch of people tied and locked in a room?”  
“If it’s going to give away your position, then yes.”  
“No offence, Arthur, but fuck that.” Eggsy spat. Harry had no retort.

Back out in the open he continued his search, all the while hearing the mindless chatter that gave him no leads, going against the flow as he went up another floor, in hopes of finding whatever source led these unhinged customers to spend their dirty cash. Soon enough he found an empty corridor, peeking around the corner he saw nobody but three figures emerging from one of the rooms.

“My brother has over indulged on the champagne again,” a woman’s voice crawled along the empty walls like a sudden frost. It was obvious that whomever she was commanding wouldn’t try to say no “make sure he doesn’t do anything to embarrass us. Again.” She added with the exasperated calmness of someone whose all too accustomed to the ‘again’. The woman donned a red dress, a kimono, to be precise and she hid her face behind a mask before he could catch a glimpse of it, only her dark hair now visible.  
“Yes, Ace.” 

Well that was a pleasant stroke of luck.

“Merlin,” Eggsy didn’t get a response but carried on “guess what I have up my sleeve” Eggsy was too caught up in his confidence to notice the radio silence.  
“Hope it’s a paddle.” Like any other rabbit met with an instant threat Eggsy moved with lighting speed in an attempt face the sudden voice. His eyes were the only tell at how startled the young spy was. 

THWACK

Unfortunately it wasn’t fast enough and as Eggsy’s world faded to black he couldn’t help but realise just how far up shit creek he was.

~x~x~x~x~x~x~

Merlin took great pride in having many eyes. Sure not in the literal sense but after so many years spent surveying various screens his vision had evolved into evaluating what his agents saw and guided them through the fire. Eggsy often joked that he was magical and lived up to his name. Merlin would reply that it was simply easier to study the situation when he’s hundreds of miles away and not getting shot at. 

His first phase of the mission was to guide Percival to his sniper’s nest seeing that the agent was alone as opposed to the team of three that had each other’s backs. Unfortunately for Percival, getting into position wasn’t as straightforward as he’d had hoped and had left a severe delay in being ready to cover the rest of the agents before they had entered. Many high spots were locked or heavily guarded. The upside was that due to it being one of the busiest times in Venice it was easy to go undetected as he veered through small alleys. Nobody noticed the unassuming man carrying a somewhat serious looking piece of luggage as they stumbled drunkenly into him. Merlin led Percival to a church that put his climbing gear to good use. Making sure to disengage whatever security cameras that happened to be protecting the historical landmark ( it’s shocking how many buildings in Venice actually are), Merlin didn’t leave the agent until he knew he was secured in his position. Once Percival had a clear vision of the Rosa, Merlin returned his attention to the rest of the team. 

“Galahad?” Merlin gazed upon Eggsy’s screen and his pride was replaced with a tightness at the pit of his stomach. He watched the picture jump and fray with fractures of broken pixels and pockets of an empty corridor freezing and distorting across the screen and the tightness spread to his shaking fingers.  
“Arthur. Lancelot. Get to Galahad. NOW” he then noticed how hoarse his voice had become but couldn’t allow himself to care when he had just lost an agent.  
“What’s his location?” Roxy was the first to respond.  
“Second floor. East corridor,” He pinpointed the exact location of Eggsy’s transmission while doing his best to keep his panic at bay. “Hurry!” So many years on the job and yet it could still scare the shit out of him. 

Meanwhile Harry had already begun to push his way through the throng of guests crowding the courtyard. He tried his best to keep his composure and not raise attention. Anyone who happened see them from a casual distance wouldn’t have noticed anything out of the ordinary but Harry’s ‘excuse me’ wasn’t the average muttering of British politeness. It was a sharp growl that cut through any pompous conversation that happened to be in his way and left a cold chill behind him. Neither of them dared to think of what they would find as they climbed up the marble steps.

Nothing. No one. Empty. They reached the location Eggsy was supposed to be in and found not a trace of him. Harry’s anger began to boil deep inside his gut.  
“I don’t fucking see him, Merlin” he hissed  
“His mask!” Roxy spotted the gilded rabbit face around the corner… at least what was left of it. The side had been cracked and chipped with an ear damaged beyond repair.  
“That explains the signal…” Harry barely heard Merlin’s voice through his comms for he was too busy thinking what he would do to those who took Eggsy.  
“Tell me you saw something, Percival”  
“I wasn’t in position. By the time I got a clear vision across the canal Galahad was nowhere to be seen” Percival’s uselessness echoed in Harry’s mind before adding “Sorry, Arthur” 

Harry was at a loss and Eggsy’s clock was ticking.

~x~x~x~x~x~x~

“For someone who doesn’t know anything,” Ten cracked her bloodied knuckles. Usually when she did that it got a flinch from whatever victim she happened to be beating black and blue. This guy though… he was an incredibly stubborn idiot “You sure know how to run your mouth off”  
“That’s not all I can do with it” Eggsy smirked before spitting his own blood down on the floor. The metallic taste in his mouth was overwhelming him. The brute of a woman with the little ten tattooed under her right eye had woken him from his stupid with enough punches to feel tendered enough to cook. But Eggsy wouldn’t tell this shit stain that. Or anything for that matter. 

Another punch. This time in the gut. She was pissed now. The upside was that most of the shock from her punches were being absorbed by his suit… of course that didn’t mean he was impervious to them seeing that the woman had sledgehammer fists. But at least he’d be spared from any broken ribs. 

“Who do you work for” She grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled his head back. Making sure her snarl was close enough or Eggsy to smell it.  
“You really don’t beat about the bush, do you?” Another punch  
“I saw you with a gun sneaking behind people you really shouldn’t be.”  
“That wasn’t a gun, it was a lighter” Before he could finish his sentence, Ten had whipped out Eggsy’s gun (looted after she’d knocked the little turd out) and pointed it at his forehead. For the first time Eggsy was honestly scared because as he looked into the woman’s eyes he could tell she was very capable of pulling that trigger. But he pressed his head against the barrel and for what seemed like a lifetime neither of them moved as if locked in some morbid mise en scène. 

“Don’t tempt her” A third voice tore them back to reality with a start. Ten quickly removed the gun from Eggsy sweating forehead who was grateful for not finding out if she was indeed bluffing, he had little time to let his mind recover before he realised the familiarity of that voice. Eggsy turned to see the same red fabric neatly sashed step out from the shadows. An angry Oni mask looking at him with golden eyes barely showed the dark orbs behind them. Ace had come to him. Shame there wasn’t a bloody thing he could do about it. “I hate it when people gatecrash my party” Ace exhaled with the boredom of someone who obviously didn’t consider Eggsy to be much of a threat. 

“And here I thought my invitation got lost in the mail” Eggsy studied the mastermind between quips although the only thing Eggsy had to go by was that she liked the colour red. But he had to focus on her, he had to study her, because the alternative was the focus on the pain of his bruised ribs and bleeding face. But even that took a side seat when he heard the uproar coming from beyond the door. It was only when it got closer did Eggsy recognise it as a man screaming in Japanese moments before the door burst open. A thin figure stormed in wearing an ivory white suit and a fox mask of the same shade. Eggsy didn’t have to understand Japanese to tell how slurred the man’s words were, that and his body language helped him figure out just how horribly drunk he was. The white fox stormed towards Ace with the aggressiveness of someone who was about to tear the whole room down and yet she stood her ground unmoved by the spectacle. All the while responding to his anger in a quiet tone. The display went on for several more seconds before the fox faced man turned towards him. 

“So you’re the piece of shit that’s causing trouble.” He growled in English and edged so close to the young spy he could smell the alcohol oozing from his pores.  
“You sound like my stepdad” Eggsy smirked “and smell like him too”  
“I never knew pieces of shit could tell jokes”  
“You should see what I do for an encore” This made the man huff a chuckle under his mask.  
“We don’t have time for this, Brother.” Ace sighed in English. Brother? Well that just got a whole lot more interesting. “He’s not alone.” Shit. have they been found out already?  
“I promise I’ll be done before our guests wonder where I am” The fox-man loosened his tie which his sister took it enough of a sign to believe him and turned to leave the room.  
“Have fun” Her singsong voice muffled as she disappeared back into the real world, or the twisted version of it anyway. Soon enough it was just the mysterious brother and one guard.  
“Leave us. I like some privacy during intimate moments like these.”  
“Yes, Ace.” 

Wait… Ace? Two of them. Brother and sister. Both named Ace. Oh those fuckers. Of course nobody could really pin Ace down when there was always another on the move. 

~x~x~x~x~x~x~

Harry had to admit that whoever was running this operation was rather good at keeping whatever problem they should encounter contained from the rest of the guests. He’d barely reached the first floor when he felt the barrel of a gun pressed against the back of his head mere moments after trying a locked door. 

“Don’t fucking move.” The voice growled. Male. American. Harry could feel the barrel being pressed even harder against him. Clearly he was feeling cocky about getting the upper hand. Clearly he didn’t know the first thing about using a gun or hand to hand combat. With the tension of a coiled spring, Harry’s arm swung back, clearing him from any stray bullets before knocking the man down with a swift kick of the leg. He was a large man so when he hit the ground the thud was mighty pleasing. Albeit the feeling was short lived and he lifted his leg with a powerful enough kick to Harry’s face to knock his mask clean off. Sorry, Merlin, he thought. Dangerously exposed, the spy reached for the goon, his large hand grabbed his face and with all his strength lifted him off the ground before slamming his assailant against the wall with he power of an angered titan. Either he knocked him cold or dead Harry didn’t care nor had time to before another one raced towards him and practically unloaded her clip. Using the limp body as a shield, Harry waited until his attacker’s rain of bullets stopped before grabbing the discarded gun and shooting back with cruel, painful precision right in the kneecap and then flung his bloody shield at the crippled enemy, pinning her to the floor. She had a small number ten tattooed under her eye. How quaint. Now, bleeding and lightheaded, the woman whimpered at the dark towering figured that had so brutally handed her own arse on a platter. 

“No!” She took aim but Harry smacked away the gun with cutting speed and jammed the barrel against her chin, hovering mere inches above her face. 

“Where did they take him.”  
“W-who?” Harry’s prey was dripping with fear.  
“The rabbit they captured.” Harry forced the gun so hard against the the woman’s neck she started to choke. Oh how Harry could make someone suffer if he wanted to  
“I don’t know what you’re talking about!”  
“Wrong answer” And with that he broke a finger. Even from a distance, Roxy could hear the pained shriek.  
“Doesn’t take much effort to break finger.” He whispered. Harry had no time for this dance and debated how many crushed bones it would take before he got the fucker to talk.  
“NO PLEASE, WAIT!” One. Apparently. “…the basement!”  
“Much obliged” And with that Harry knocked her lights out. By that time Roxy had edged closer to her boss with careful apprehension. It was clear he was going to deal with the matter on a more personal level.  
“Let’s go.” he walked past her with a cock of his pistol and giving Roxy the dropped assault rifle as he tried to control whatever was trying to claw out of him.  
“I need you to rendezvous with Percival” Harry instructed “We’re going to need the Valkyrie”  
“The what?!”  
“He’ll know what that means”  
“What about you? What about Eggsy?”  
“If you don’t do what I say neither of us will matter. Now GO.” He didn’t raise his voice but the sharp command was enough for Roxy to stop questioning him and do as she was ordered. He, on the other hand, was going to get Eggsy back. 

~x~x~x~x~x~x~

 

Oncoming storm is a somewhat inaccurate nickname someone gave the agent formally known as Galahad long ago. Rarely will storms be as silent as Harry Hart. The only sound coming from him is the wake of whatever was in his path, disposing of enemies with efficiency, brutality and a hint of flair. But it wasn’t long before he heard the panicked screams of an unlucky guest who had found his bloody aftermath (what was left of a man who got too close to Harry’s gun) and sounded the alarm. Harry had no need for stealth now that the fuse had been lit. Footsteps roared closer behind him. Three men. Assault rifles. Pissed. He studied his surroundings. Chandelier. Heavy. He took haik and the single thread of wiring and plastic was shot clean through and the heavy lamp fell with a deafening crash on Harry’s three immediate problems. Solved. No time to gloat. Harry’s path had been blocked when he wasn’t looking and dove for cover mere moments before bullets ricochet around him. Plaster exploded into dust inches from his eyes while he waited for his turn. Harry was a patient man and a gentleman always waits his turn before speaking but of course he was always a man who chose his words carefully. The guard closest to him barely had stopped shooting (more like spraying) before he was shot right through the eye. The second enemy barely had time to react to the sudden horror, all Harry needed was a gasp, before he too was shot through the face.

Harry had reached the basement. He almost felt sorry for the lonely guard that stood between him and Eggsy. 

~x~x~x~x~x~x~

Eggsy had learned to be patient at times like those. Being in the line of duty taught him to keep a clear mind and focus on every option for a way out. 

Of course it was hard to focus when being tortured. Brother Ace had made sure he felt every single ring as the man punched him once more. At least he had the decency to take off his mask, that way when he was punched Eggsy could see that shit eating grin.  
“This is boring…” Ace gave a small sigh like a petulant child before reaching inside his jacket pocket. Pulling out a blade Eggsy tried hard not to let the fear show in his eyes. But he knew he was failing when he saw his own reflection on the shimmering knife “I haven’t had a chance to use this yet. Let’s see if it can make you sing.”  
“I’m a terrible singer” Eggsy’s voice cracked, surprising Ace enough to know he just gave himself away. Shit. He’s well and truly fucked. 

Somewhere in the back of Eggsy’s mind he had noticed a horrible racket outside the room, but he didn’t put much thought to it even when he heard the door burst open. 

“Who the fu-“ Ace’s last words didn’t even amount to a whole sentence before the bullet pierced through his neck. The only thing coming out of him were the gurgled sounds of a choking animal as he crumbled to the ground. Eggsy looked up to spot Harry, smoking gun still in hand, rushing towards him.

“Wish I had something funny to say right now.” Eggsy face hurt to smile but he couldn’t help it. He couldn’t make out much of Harry’s expression but his silence and the way he hurried to undo his bindings spoke volumes. But Eggsy managed to catch a glimpse, boy did he look scared. “Come on, not even a quip?” Harry silently cut through the zip ties. Eggsy knew he was trying way too hard to make light of it all. But it scared HIM to see Harry like that “I’m sorry your prin-‘ 

“Enough. Eggsy.” the sharpness of Harry’s tone cut through and froze him while Harry got to his feet and was damn near looming over him. 

“Sorry, Arthur…”  
“Wish you would stop calling me that.”  
“You’re my boss.”  
“You know fucking well you are more than an employee to me.” Again his voice was quiet but Eggsy heard every word and they felt like he was being punched in the gut all over again. Harry wasn’t even trying to hide how he felt. For the first time in an age the fear of losing Eggsy, of seeing him so battered, of seeing him alive all hit him like a wave that made it impossible for the man to stop shaking. Eggsy didn’t notice it of course. 

“Are you fucking serious?” Eggsy shot up from his seat too fast. Way too fast. Dizzyingly fast. He stumbled for half a step making Harry reach out in an instant reflex, but Eggsy regained his footing and swatted the helping hand away “I’m sorry it’s dizzying being pulled and pushed so many times.” That hurt Harry, Eggsy could tell and felt petty for saying it but then again one tends to be a bit bitey after so much pain. 

“I can’t allow myself-“  
“What?” Eggsy interrupted “To be tempted from your fucking do goodery?”  
“-to lose you…”  
“Well you’re doing a piss poor job of it.” Harry’s heart twisted with each word but his body said nothing. If the burn from Eggsy’s venomous hate was the price to pay to keep him alive then so be it. Harry stank of death and grief. The rotting flesh of so many innocents at the wake of his Kentucky rampage and Eggsy’s own father was distant but potent enough to sour anything near him anyway. 

This is not the fucking time, Eggsy thought and turned away because honestly Harry’s face was a crumbling echo of his own anger that he had tried so hard to bottle up. God how he tried. And now it was a molotov cocktail of resentment and bitterness for… what? Being denied?  
“Thanks for the rescue” Eggsy hated him but he wast still grateful. Harry extended the extra weapon to him but the sound of voices wrecked his train of thought. Time stood still for no heartbreak. 

Eggsy heard something hit the floor before he saw it but Harry was already grabbing him by the wrist before he realised it was a grenade. He counted the seconds. One. Harry pulled Eggsy to his chest. Two. He then covered them both in his everything-proof cape. Three. Boom. 

The two men were thrown across the room, hitting the wall with a numbing impact and knocking them out cold as the structure around them crumbled to the watery depths. 

~x~x~x~x~x~x~

Floating. Harry doesn’t remember that from the first time he died. He doesn’t remember feelings so cold or so lucid either. Has he really died again? 

No. 

His screams echoed nowhere but in his head. He can’t die like this again. He can’t die with the constant regret playing over and over as if it were his own personal hell. He had already sacrificed his life once with so many things left unsaid. He’s not fucking doing it again, he’s not going to leave Eggsy behind hating him. Harry felt a sudden selfish drive to fight back, to not accept death with the same defeated smile he did last time. He tried to move but his body felt heavy. And sore. Pain. That’s good. Wait…Eggsy. Where’s Eggsy? What happened after the explosion? The sudden fear of something happening to the one person that kept him fighting roused him from his unconsciousness with such voracity that it made Eggsy himself jump back with a yelp. 

Eggsy had barely received any of the impact, be it form the bomb or the wall. But the floor cracked open and dropped them several feet into the water and the cold shock brought him back from whatever stupor he was under. Harry on the other hand continued to sink, weighed down by the ruined, bulletproof cape. Eggsy had struggled to detach the damn thing as his lungs started to cry out for air. Harry was thin but the fucker was dense and it took what little energy he had left to bring them both back to the surface… whatever surface there was, that is. A small pocket of air barely standing under wood and rubble that hanged with precarious intentions. Eggsy dragged Harry’s limp body along a charred surface, it was small but it meant he didn’t have to tread water and took a moment to inspect Harry for injuries. His wrinkled head had a gash in it. Blood flowered and feathered along his wet head and hair but Eggsy’s main worry was… oh good. He was breathing. He’d barely learned away from Harry’s chest when the older man woke up with a choked gasp.

“FUUUCKIN- OW” there really wasn’t much room, Eggsy realised, his banged head being a good measure at how closed in they were. “Hey! Hey it’s alright…” he tried to sooth his flustered companion. But it still took Harry a full five seconds to become aware enough to assess what the fuck was going on. Wherever they were, it was so dark he could barely see Eggsy’s face.  
“How long have I been out?” Harry groaned while his eyes made the slow effort to get accustomed to the darkness.  
“Barely a minute”  
“It felt like a lifetime. Flashing before my eyes. Again.” Harry’s deadpan made Eggsy chuckle even if he couldn’t see it. But it was then he realised the cold water pooling around him. “The water’s rising.” It wasn’t until Harry mentioned it that Eggsy realised. What was once barely scraping his knees was now well over his thigh. 

Shit.

They looked around with a hopeless need for an exit 

“Wait here!” Eggsy took a deep breath and dove down below before Harry could interject, hoping to find a crevice, a hole, a loose plank of wood, anything that might save them from a slow and painful death. But his breath ran short before he could find anything, breaking the surface once again. He said nothing. Which said it all. And with no time to lose they began to push and struggle against the debris. Harry slammed his whole body with no success. Nothing would budge until Eggsy felt a slab of concrete that rattled under his touch.  
“Eggsy wait!” Harry called out seconds before the slab was yanked and rubble poured in. Making their little tomb even smaller to the point where their small piece of platform had all but crumbled under the pressure. The water was up to their chest by the time they realised how hopeless it was. 

“I’m sorry Eggsy…” The older man’s voice was barely a whisper as he broke the forlorn silence. The sad realisation of what was happening made him even unable to look Eggsy in the eye. Or maybe it was pure shame. “I’m sorry for being foolish and stubborn. So many years… so many fucking years I believed that I was nothing but a codename. But then you happened, Eggsy. You came along and jumpstarted something I thought long dead from negligence.” Harry took a moment to catch his breath. “I turned you down because what could I possibly offer you? I have nothing to give but the high death toll of an ageing man who knows no other life …” The cold water was crawling every higher up his flesh and he could feel Eggsy trembling. “I don’t deserve you but I love you, Eggsy. Even if I was too much of a coward to admit it before I’d rather die embracing what brought me back in the first place.” Harry let out a deep sigh. As liberated as he felt to finally be able to be honest with himself and Eggsy, it also felt like it was too little too late. 

Gripping to every syllable that bounced in their confined space, Eggsy’s tears were threatening again, pooling under his green eyes while his heart was so tight it felt like it had stopped beating all together. He would have been mad at Harry, absolutely livid, for his fucking stupid sense of self sacrifice and self loathing that condemned him to so many years of loneliness and heartache and Eggsy would have warmed it out of him had he been given the chance. But he couldn’t be mad at Harry, not now anyway…

“Chester offered me a place in the new world, you know?” He broke the silence “He gave me a chance to live but I refused. I told him I’d rather be with you.” Eggsy felt the ice cold water dancing around his neck like a grip teasing him with what happened to all Kingsmen sooner or later “Because I love you too. Not even you dying changed that, and if you’re going to die again I’m happy that at least I’m with you this time… I will always rather be with you, Harry.” And there it was. His name. It made Harry choke to think that he would die hearing Eggsy say it again. He felt that peaceful acceptance that comes when facing the inevitable once again. But this time he pulled Eggsy into a tight embrace and without a second thought from either of them let their lips meet. The kiss that the two had dreamt about for so long was nothing compared to how warm their breaths felt on each other’s freezing skin. Even the sad reality of their death couldn’t take that moment away from them, even if the tears salted the taste there was still the sweet side of something that was, after all, bittersweet.

Their kiss remained unbroken even when the canal engulfed them. The cold water stung and their lungs burned but they remained wrapped around each other as the current around them swept them mercilessly into the darkness. 

~x~x~x~x~x~x~

Blue. 

Red.

Blue.

Red. 

Even in the lightless depths, Eggsy could make out circling shimmers below him. Faint but guiding, the bright hues helped him notice a tiny crevice where the light the light kept shining through. Tiny and yet. He pulled away from Harry, keeping their hands firmly attached to each other as he led them through cracked and weakened planks of wood and debris. He squeezed through, fitting past easier than expected before helping Harry. Almost immediately they began to see the surface and as they slowly ascended their movements jerked with the frantic desperation to get to the air they were so close to reaching. Almost there… Eggsy repeated to himself as if a mantra that promised him all sorts of wonderful things if he just pushed himself a little further.

They broke the surface with scratching gasps. Clawing at the stone steps just beyond their reach, they soon managed to pull themselves out of the freezing canal. The heavy panting layered with rasps and wheezing as if their bodies had longed for everything to do with breathing. 

But they were alive. 

Holy shit they had actually survived. Harry, who let his body collapse, was lying on his back trying hard to control his breathing. He turned to face Eggsy with the biggest relieved smile the younger man had seen on anyone, but Eggsy repeated the sentiment and soon after began to laugh, both of them did. What else was one supposed to do when winning such a game against all odds but laugh out of sheer surprise. 

“I feel lucky enough to buy a lottery ticket…” Harry gasped, leading Eggsy to laugh out the last of the Venice waters with choked chuckles. “You think you have enough strength to finish this, Eggsy?”  
“I’m gonna sound well cheesy, but right now I feel like I could take on the world.” Harry laughed at Eggsy’s self deprecating remark but had to agree with him and, with the pain of someone whose been shot at, blown up and nearly drowned, stood up.  
“You’re right”  
“About me being cheesy?”  
“About taking on the world… and being cheesy too.” He reached out his hand, which Eggsy took with a smirk and hoisted himself up.  
“Kiss for good luck?” Eggsy asked with a hint of coyness in his voice, making Harry’s heart warm his very soul despite the chill February air.  
“Worked well the last time” and leaned in for the kiss. A sweet, gentle peck that teased of things to come… if they survived this. 

~x~x~x~x~x~x~

The scene in the small patch of land was a fiery chaos filled with panicked screams and the wails of emergency sirens. The murky waters reflected the blue and red of firefighters, ambulances and police all swarming to the beacon of what was once La Rosa Colta mansion. The flames were spreading and fast. The night sky already had the orange glow that could be seen from partygoers across the sleepless city. And yet nobody noticed two small figures edging their way through the hysterical crowd, heading towards the one place that any sensible civilian would avoid, because no gentleman leaves a job unfinished. 

It was then, amongst the turmoil of the scared masses, that Eggsy felt someone grasp his arm. His body tensed ready to fight whoever was holding him back but when he turned it wasn't an enemy at all. 

“You’ll need this” It was the young man he’d freed. His same sunken in eyes now brimmed with life as he returned the small blade Eggsy had given him what felt like a lifetime ago. Too stunned for words, Eggsy gave him a thankful nod and let the man disappear once again with the crowd as he ran the opposite direction. Eggsy’s mum once told him that what goes around comes around, he just never expected it to be anything good.

“I’ve spotted Ace.” Harry’s statement had brought Eggsy back to the real world with an electrifying jolt.  
“Where?!”  
“She’s running back towards the building.” Eggsy’s gaze followed where Harry was pointing to until he caught a faint dash of red heading towards the one part of the building that hadn’t been engulfed in flames. Yet.  
“Fuck off…” Eggsy sighed and proceeded to chase after her.

~x~x~x~x~x~x~

It didn’t take long before they were met with the few remaining lackeys who had chosen to stay behind. Armed. Of course. A frustrating advantage against the two spies who had lost anything that could cause harm when they were blasted clear across the, now decimated, room. That, however, wasn’t the first thing they spotted. 

“Ace at one o’clock!” Eggsy called out, Harry’s eyes landed on a red blur disappearing up the stairs at the opposite end of the courtyard. Clearly Ace’s escape route had changed after the last one had been blocked by flaming debris. The only way was up.

With wordless coordination Harry ran ahead, and took cover against the onslaught of bullets behind one of the pillars that decorated the once exuberant courtyard. On his signal Eggsy ran towards him and with a swift movement the flexible Galahad stepped on Harry’s interlocked fingers, hoisting himself up on the banister above. The momentum of his swing lifting Eggsy up and over and hitting the floor with effortless grace. There he took down a guard with a sweep of the leg, body slamming him in to unconsciousness and stealing his weapon. Now armed with an automatic rifle it was easy to dispose of the second guard who burst through one of the many doors and take his gun.  
“Got a present for you, love!” He called out, Harry still taking a wall of bullets but somehow had managed two move forward two more pillars. Eggsy dropped one of the guns and with the fluidity of a cat, Harry spun round the crumbling pillar, took the gun and returned the spray in kind.  
“It’s beautiful, darling thank you!” Eggsy chuckled, his eye suddenly catching something moving on his floor. Something red.  
“Harry! I’ve spotted Ace! She’s on this floor and heading upstairs!” He took a shot at her, missing the elusive woman by a fraction before disappearing up the stairs across from him. Harry, meanwhile, had chosen to use his bullets sparingly and after cracking the faces of two goons with the back of his gun, he stole their clips and the grenade one of them had almost unpinned, electrocuting a surprise attacker with his ring he soon reached Eggsy’s floor. Reunited and armed they ran down the hallway. More enemies poured in with guns at the ready and firing shortly after. Harry’s bulletproofed back took most of the first wave and soon the man turned, providing covering fire as Eggsy used it to rush at the enemies, leaping off the walls to attack with deathly blows from above, nobody seeing the blur of an agent before it was too late. With another floor cleared they bounded further upstairs, the hell below them burning ever brighter. Another slew of assailants. Harry and Eggsy spun around as if in partners in a deadly waltz and Harry’s gun finished off the few that had survived Eggsy’s deadly aim.

They were at the top floor now but there was no sign of Ace until Harry felt something whistle dangerously close to his face.  
“ROOFTOP” he called out and they both took cover from the gunfire. Ace was indeed on the roof, now mask less and armed with two pistols which she had no difficulty wielding at the same time.  
“Fucking Lara Croft’s got nowhere to go what is she doing?!” Eggsy snarled with unamused contempt, throwing his now empty gun to the ground to emphasise how much he disliked this situation.  
“You think you could reach her?” Harry breathed, Eggsy realised that sweat was dripping down his face but it wasn’t from the exertion, the flames had reached them faster than they’d hoped.  
“If you can cover me I’ll edge over to where she cant’s see me and can climb up no problem. But what about you?”  
“So far I’ve managed to survive a bullet to the head and drowning. I’ll manage.” Harry’s smile filled Eggsy with enough confidence to believe him and gave another silent nod before taking a stand and shooting back at the crimson woman above. Taking the cover Eggsy rushed along the corridor with his head ducked down until he reached what he believed to be Ace’s blind spot. He balanced on the edge of the marble railing and grabbed onto the roof gutter. Pushing himself he was soon on the slanted tiled surface while the woman before him continue to try picking off the spy who just wouldn’t fucking die. Harry’s world, meanwhile, was getting hotter by the second, even the very ground he rested on began to burn but it was hard to do much about it with Ace’s keen eye and even keener aim. He wouldn’t consider himself fucked quite yet but he was beginning to run out of options. 

Eggsy had managed to climb along the roof, clinging to whatever darkness he was granted to remain unnoticed but knew he couldn’t get much closer without being heard. The damn tiles cracked below his weight at an alarming loudness, so he kept his distance. Armed with nothing but his returned blade, he took careful aim, knowing he only had one change. Eggsy flung his life with all his might. But Ace was dangerously fast even in such an unstable terrain. The knife impaled itself through her hand, Ace may have dropped one of her guns in the process but had avoided being fatally stabbed. The woman didn’t even flinch as she unloaded the clip of her remaining gun at Eggsy, who fled for cover. The rising smoke made his eyes water and his poor lungs were struggling to keep him breathing. Ace used this to her advantage, seemingly unbothered by the inferno blazing around them. Was this fucking woman born from hell or something? 

Across from him the weakening structures crumbled with a deafening groan.

“HARRY!” He cried out only to be choked by the plumes of smoke emitted from the recent destruction. He saw no sign of the man. He’s fine… he’s got t-

The sound of a tile cracking, ever so faintly, brought him back mere moments before Ace pulled the trigger. Spinning away he used his momentum to sweep the leg and knock the woman off her feet but not before echo of the gunshot rang with a deafening violence in his ears. But one of them stung like nothing he had ever felt before. He knew what had happened before even feeling the blood. The gun had missed him but not entirely and had clipped him in the ear. He was unarmed once again against a woman whose ice cold eyes were set on him like the prey that he was. She rose to her feet with unnatural speed and palmed Eggsy below the chin. It knocked him back but swiftly grabbed her wrist and armpit, flinging her as they both fell on their backs, unsure if it was them or the tiles that cracked like fireworks. He had to keep moving, it’s harder to shoot a moving target, and got to his feet. Or tried to before he felt a hand gripping his ankle pulling him back, making Eggsy lose his balance and fall down to the ground. He realised how hard he smacked his chin but then again that was nothing when it was followed by a kick to the face that knocked him on his back. His vision blurred from the pain but soon his eyes regained the vision only to see the woman towering above him. The perfect bun that her hair was once tied to was now a frayed mess of loose strands swirling in the wind, her delicate Kimono was ripped to shreds and blending with so much blood it was hard to tell where the silk ended and the remains of her battle began. 

“Now die.” Ace’s eyes burned with the angered grief that Eggsy knew all too well as the gun barrel pinned him motionless to the ground.  
“You first.” Harry growled. Appearing from the flames and broke Ace’s shooting arm with the force of a sledgehammer before she had time to react. He took her screams of pain as a chance and he clutched the looted grenade before shoving it in her mouth and pulling the pin. Eggsy took it as a cue and what little was left of his might pushed her off the roof and to the hell below. Two seconds later flames spat out like the dying roar of a beast. The explosion had all but decimated the house and was slowly crumbling around the two men. 

“Harry…” Eggsy tried not to sound scared but was failing miserably.  
“It’s alright, darling” Harry pulled him close. Was this going to be their lives? Fearing that they’d led their loved one to their death over and over again? To watch them die horribly? “At least we’ll go out wi-“ His own voice trailed off when he heard a familiar sound among the thunderous flames. Helicopter blades. They both turned to the night behind them only to be blinded by the pale shine of a light that was drawing ever near “Looks like the Valkyrie is coming to take us away” he smiled, Eggsy not quite getting the joke until he saw the small figure poking her head out the side of the helicopter. Eggsy will never admit how he had compared Roxy to an angel that night. 

The young Lancelot waved at them and dropped a rope ladder. The blades of the helicopter fanning the fire and giving the two men a chance to cling to their escape. Eggsy gave the thumbs up and, piloted by Percival, the helicopter flew away from what was left of the mansion. Eggsy looked back to see the orange light become a distant glow. Harry’s arm was still tightly wrapped around him and with no intention of letting go any time soon while the sky before them began to welcome the first few rays of daylight.

~x~x~x~x~x~x~

The Penna D’aquila Hotel lobby had finally quietened down from the night before. Manned by a young woman who was on her fourth espresso that night, she was the only one who saw the two men walk through the elegant marble floor as if the sight of them was nothing out of the ordinary. The first one to walk in was a young man, clearly he had enjoyed the carnival season as much as expected. But the more she looked the more she realised the bruised eye, the cut lip and the all but ruined suit that seemed to have more scorch marks than anything. The taller one that trailed behind him didn’t look much better off. His hair was in a disarray of what looked like blood, sweat and grease from what was left of the gel that held his do together. His jacket had so many cuts and tears she could see the white shirt underneath it, or what used to be white anyway. Dirt and, she guessed, blood splattered dried and cracked. And yet as he walked up to her he seemed to carry his disheveled look with an elegance that almost made her not think about it. Almost.

“I’m sorry for troubling you. I seem to have lost my hotel key… could I possibly have a copy?” He gave her a pleasant smile, warm enough for it to reach the corners of his eyes and distract her from the unseemly sight.

When they reached the lift, the two men waited for the golden doors to close before breathing out a tired sigh after a tough day on the job. Eggsy’s mind began to wonder what would happen next. Even though they had stopped a black market, leading to the arrest of god knows how many disgusting millionaires and the death of two very dangerous Japanese siblings, he couldn’t find himself to care about it as much as he cared about what the fuck he was supposed to do now. The lift reached his floor with a singsong chirp and as the doors opened he gave Harry a shy ‘goodnight’ and stepped out. 

No. No he didn’t. He couldn’t. Harry was clutching Eggsy’s sleeve with no intention of letting go.  
“Will you come back to mine…?” he whispered. The whole thing was almost innocent. Eggsy didn’t need to be asked twice and let the doors close in front of him. He saw Harry’s eyes light up in almost disbelief.  
“Told you I’d always rather be with you.” 

~x~x~x~x~x~x~

Eggsy let out a groan that could be heard all the way from dressing room three. It’s not that desk work wasn’t important. It’s just that the young Galahad simply HATED it. But seeing how he was still suffering from his injuries after his night out in Venice, Merlin had confined him to weapon maintenance. Or more like he wanted Eggsy to make a note of every single piece of equipment he had ruined during the expedition. Eggsy was sure Merlin was a school teacher in a previous life. 

“Don’t have too much fun, now.” Roxy poked her head through the office door with a smile.  
“Save me from all this fun, please!” Eggsy dropped the paperwork in order to make his suffering a bit more comically dramatic.  
“I could help with that…” She edged through the gap and walked towards Eggsy, clearly hiding something behind her back but making no effort to be subtle about it. “I thought you might want to keep these…”  
 She pulled out two familiar looking masks. Eggsy’s rabbit was cracked and missing a good portion of one if its ears. He couldn’t help but subconsciously scratch his own, now with a portion of it missing as if JB had taken a gluttonous bite. Harry’s butterfly had been singled and burned enough to turn a lot of it black although small flecks of silver still shone brightly through. Eggsy smiled and took the trinkets from his friend. How she recovered them he had no idea but was grateful all the same. 

Harry was quick to take the broken masks and hang them on display in the living room. He didn’t need to tell Eggsy that, like his many front pages that decorated his office, he had found something else to take personal pride in. Maybe it was because it marked their first mission as a team. Maybe it marked something more romantic than that. But it was the beginning of something, and there was plenty of room on the wall.


End file.
